by Owen Stelzer, co-Sports Editor

Mr. Sergio Esparza, a former teacher at St. Joseph’s High School joins the St. John Bosco staff as a theology teacher and Campus Minister, looking to enhance the spiritual lives of the students at our institution. 

Q: Where did you grow up?

A: Inglewood, CA

Q: What high school did you go to?

A: St. Bernard High School

Q: What college did you attend and what did you study?

A: LMU, and I studied Theology and Studio Arts with an emphasis on photography.

Q:How long did you teach at St. Joseph’s?

A: 10 years

Q:What brought you to Bosco?

A: I really like what Bosco is about. I think it’s [Don Bosco’s] Preventative System. It’s unheard  of anywhere, especially in an all0boys school. I think everyone tries to mimic what were doing here.

Q:What is the difference between teaching here and St. Joseph’s?

A: I think this campus has more to offer besides athletics. I think that being a part of a community has so much to offer is a great way to elevate everyone, not just our students, but every fabric of this campus.

Q: What does it mean to you to be apart of the “Bosco Brotherhood”?

A: I think brotherhood means you can horse around and joke around with your brothers. I grew up in a house of just boys, just me and my brothers. All my cousins, the majority of them, are all guys. It’s always this idea of friendly competition, trying constantly trying to outdo each other. But that helps each other be better. I think the brotherhood is about igniting in the spirit of each other to be the best version of ourselves. And obviously, there will be moments, hard times, challenges, but how we overcome those challenges is what defines us.

Q:Did you play any sports growing up?

A: I played soccer, ran cross country and played volleyball on the court and beach volleyball.

Q:What are your favorite sports teams?

A: For the English Premier League, my favorite would be Arsenal. For the US soccer teams, it would be LAFC. Obviously the Dodgers for baseball. Hockey: Kings. Those are the sports I really watch. My rugby team, to all my Pacific Islanders – I’m sorry, but I studied a semester in New Zealand – my favorite rugby team is the All Blacks of New Zealand.

Q:What is your favorite food to eat?

A: My favorite food is whatever my mom makes, but Mexican food: authentic Mexican.

Q:What is your favorite TV show?

A: Rick and Morty

Q: Who is your favorite band?

A: I think Soda Stereo. It’s Spanish rock.

Q: Outside of school what do you like to do in your free time?

A: I like going to the gym for four hours a day. I have three dogs, so I like to take my dogs for runs. And if I have free time, I’ll go surfing.

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

A: Morocco because they have the biggest spice market, and I want to be able to buy some spices.

Q: If you could time travel, what time period would you go to?

A: I would probably travel back to this early ’60s, so I can buy stocks and buy stocks for everything that didn’t exist yet.

Q: What would you want students to take away from your classroom?

A: What I want them to take from my religion classes is that theology is not just going to church and doing church stuff. It’s the last part of when we go to Mass. The priest says, “Go forth. Mass has ended.” We all say, “Thanks be to God,” because that’s what it really means – for us to go outside and really change the world.

Q:How is your theology class unique?

A: I have a methodology. It’s called the Pastoral Circle Methodology. It’s been around since ’80s, but no one really uses it.

Q: What led you to teaching a subject like religion?

A: I started teaching catechism when I was 15 in my parish. I had about 48 kids from Lenox Public Schools who were going through their Baptism and First Communion, and I was teaching them about the faith. I think that’s where it sparked. It wasn’t like trying to shove information down their throat. It was more about like, “Hey, let’s work on being a better version of ourselves, little by little.” I think that’s what was intriguing to me.

Q: If you weren’t teaching, what would you be doing?

A: I would probably have taken the offer from National Geographic to be a photographer and just travel around the world and sit in some tree and wait for some rare animal to walk by so I can capture the picture for it.

Q: What is a personal achievement you are most proud of?

A: Having my first art show at 20 years old at LMU’s first art gallery and selling all my artworks within six months of my show.

Q:Do you have any motivational quote or motto that you live by?

A: People in this world were only focused on the negative things we do, never the good things. So let’s be amazing and do a bunch of great things.

Q:What is something you are most looking forward to for your time at Bosco?

A: That all the students at Bosco accept me as a brother to them on this campus, not only as a mentor or a guide, but to see me and to see Campus Ministry as a place that they can always go to.

Q:What do you enjoy most about being a teacher?

A: I think it’s just when the student has an “aha” moment. When they’re just like, “Oh, what?” Their mind gets blown, and they’re just like, “Okay, I get it.“